Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-21

comprehensive order-"G'un Sodgcr"
Then on he went again, gradually draw.
ing the slack rope out of the water, drip
ping, and whipping the surface till it finally
stretched out taut, and the barge slowly
glided out of the lock. He knew exactly
what to do without Nancy's "Now them my
general - Quick march, cap'en p or
Halt. Soldier ~ She used to declare that
he minded being called Soldier more than
flick of the short handled whip He had
been an officers horse, and was offended at
being spoken TO like a common trooper"
John smiled as he remembered how Nan
cy's laugh and the pat she gave Soldier"
with her little wet hand reached him as she
said that. They were just coming out of
the lock below Uxbrdge they had cargo
of unbroken lints that time and he re-
membered as he jumped on board after
working the lockgates, just as she said it,
the splash with which one of the queer
shaped, white and steely hints, displaced by
his foot, went into the canal
The sunny picture his slow fancy had
called up was suddenly followed by the re
membrance of that other cold drizzling
evening a week ago, when it was Nancy
who jumped lightly from the barge to the
path as they went under the bridge at Sal
ford. John sat up suddenly, and for a mo-
ment felt sick and cold as he heard again
the splash and quick little frightened cry
within the thick shadow of that hideous
arch She had taken the Jump scores of
times, but this time she just missed the
bricked edge Of the path, and before her
father, who was at the helm, could get at
her, she went under.
John, who was several yards ahead with
the horse, saw her rise again between the
slowly approaching barge and the brick
path, to which she clung but before he
could reach her and draw her out of the
water IA spasm of anguish on the girls pale
face and one long choked scream told him
that the great numbering barge had passed
Just one inch too near the edge and had
crushed, as it passed, the slight form.
ooh, good God - muttered John, and
drew his breath sharply through his teeth;
even now it was all over and Nancy getting
better, he couldn't think of it without shud
dering.
How he dived under the barge and drew
out the now inanimate little body and lifted
it to the many hands stretched out on the
path how he and her father, white and
shaking with horror, took their silent, life
| less burden TO Gartside street, he did not
clearly remember.
He remembered the policeman's face
clearly \ pale face, showing blue where
the chin was shaved and he remembered
too that Nancy's curls dripped on to the
back of his hand in the ambulance car
rage, as She lay wrapped i'll blankets across
her fathers knee. But after his own
plunge into the water everything seemed
confused and the things done and said were
| like the unreal acts and words Of a horrible
| dream.
''But she's all right now" said John to
himself, "and when she's Mrs John Thrupp
she shan't run no more risks :" and he gave
himself a shake TO pull himself together be-
fore he got off the tram when it stopped on
the white road below the Hospital.
He Joined the group Of mothers and faith
ers and friends, each with their bundles of
clothes, eggs and flowers for the patients,
going in twos and threes up the slope.
Some, as he had done last week, were go
ing for the first time, and looked about
them curiously but our bargee strobe on
quickly, smelling the huge bunch of stocks
and wall flowers and mignonette he was
taking to Nancy He knew his way, and
nodded TO the man at the lodge as if he
were an old friend
1t was the same blue-and-white nurse on
duty as porteress, and John came in briskly
out of the sunshine into the cool gray corri-
dor, and took off his cap with quite a gal
liant smile as he said, before the nurse had
spoken this time,
ITO see Nancy Battsenn-and quite proud
of his knowledge added, 'in Haywood Spe
cial, amt it Only myself, please miss"
The nurse said eyes, " and added ooh -
Mr. Battsen.'
John Thrupp' said John, smiling still.
ooh, yes" said the nurse "Mr. Thrupp,
wait a moment please"
John stood on one side wondering what
she wanted with him. and watched her
send a cabman and his wife, who asked for
johnny Mahonv-a baby" to North
Ward" John wondered idly what was the
matter with johnny Marney," as the anx
ious parents called it.
When they turned and went off to the
right John looked after them and did not
notice the momentary hesitation and glance
of pity the little blueand-white nurse cast
on him as she laid her book on the bench
and got up and said
''Will YOU come this way, Mr.. Thrupp I"
'Has She been moved out of there Z" said
John, following, as they came opposite the
Haywood doors.
THE doctor wants to speak to you, re-
piled the nurse without answering him, and
opened the door Of the room into which the
doctor had taken him last time.
The doctor was sitting on the other side
of a square, green leather table, and look
ing up absently from his writing and then,
as John said cherrily, good day, sir, he
seemed suddenly to recognize the young
fellow. A worried look came into his face,
and he said
"Oh, it's YOU; wait a moment" and get
ting up quickly he followed the nurse out of
the room, quickly turning to add as he
closed the door, sit down, I'll be back in a
moment"
John sat down a little puzzled but not a
shade of anxiety or fear that Nancy was
worse crossed his mind He had made up
, his mind she was nearly well now, and pic
tured her sitting up now perhaps in long
armchair he had seen in the Special. The
? door opened again, and the doctor came in
looking very grave indeed and shutting
the door stood with his back to it and said +;
''Mr. Thrupp, am very much distressed
to find you have not had the message l sent
to Gartside street last night quite thought
, you had it,
''What message, sir ~ said john sudden
ly frightened at the doctors grave tone.
Il didn't think to 90 and ask for no mes
sage-she was getting better-she amt no
worse, is she, sir She amt bad agen, is
she, doctor y
''My poor fellow, - said the doctor, his
own face paling little Il wish you had
gone to enquire. She got much worse yes
terday afternoon before we wired she
bIltu W SIT up lpoi NilAlA anu AANii'i
internal hemorrhage, set in.
: And he hesitated again and looked pity
ingly at poor John, and again went on hur-
! riedly
''We thought you'd get the wire and be
prepared, She sank rapidly. There was
| !. no pain, but we could do nothing. She died
: about midnight"
. John sat very still, with his cap in his
: hands between his knees, staring at the
DOCTOR who laid his hand tenderly on his
= shoulder and was saying something else
u but he didn't hear what, The whole room
i the whole world seemed throbbing witt
q those few words-"she died about mid
night"
e Half an hour after John Thrupp, bargee
+, was slowly walking back TO Manchester
y with a little parcel of girls garments under
f his arm aud a string of yellow beads claspec
/, tight in his great right hand, seeing only
the white face of his dead sweetheart
=. painted against the cruel pitiless streets anC
y hurrying crowds of Manchester.
IS "And she was better o Wednesday J" h'
d muttering half aloud
~ ''She was better o Wednesday"
i That night John and old Battsen wer'
,f sitting one on each of the hunks of the lit
4 tie cabin of the "Get Away with an Oi
lamp between them The old man wa
CRYING bitterly for his dead little girl, reit
y Grating how he'd cha gone to see her, i
~ you'd not a said she were better. John sa
- still in dumb misery after telling the ole
=. man all there was 10 tell and they ha'
!, spoken too about the funeral.
sl ''Ye see, its worse for me nor for you,
" said poor old Battsen, selfish as we oftel
y are in our sorrow. "She was my only lit
W W tie 'un, and beyond sort o cousin, sh
80 warrant uaupbt to Won ~